Again another lens filter question, douggrosjean mentioned the Spirotone magnifying lenses in one thread, What is the difference between the Kodak Portra lens and the spirotone magnifying lens, is there a Ciro-flex portrait lens accessory? I found an auction on Ebay, a Ciro-flex with some accessories, there was two thicker that normal filter lenses that the seller description comes to somekind of macro-lens, are they the spirotone magnifying lenses?
Thanks!
Henri

I am having some difficulty of choosing the right fiter kit for my Ciro-flex. By reading this forum, I thought the right kit was the Kodak VI series with the 31.5mm to VI adapter. But then I found an original Ciro-Shade on Ebay, the seller told me it won't fit to the Series VI, the Ciro-shade has a thread of 36mm. I started questioning myself what did the original Ciro-flex used with its Ciro-shade? Did it use the kodak series V filters and adapter? I know that the series V has 36mm diameter. I would like to use the original Ciro-Shade, should I look for 31.5mm to Series V adapter? Will 31mm adapter fit?
Questions, questions.. I hope it isn't to much.. btw.. it was your airplane photographs that convinced me of getting a Ciro-flex.

I'd have to dig through some stuff this w/e to absolutely answer your question - I'm not home till then.

I have some Kodak filters for the Ciro-Flex, and I have the attachment.

The attaching part is just a friction fit over the taking lens, like little "fingers" that flex slightly as you put it on. The OD of the lens is probably around 30mm or so (from memory), but the attachment flares out to bigger than that where the Kodak Series __ filters go on. So it's around 30mm ID friction fit onto the OD of the taking lents, then a flat that is perpendicular to the centerline of the lens, then maybe 40mm threaded ID. The Series __ filters are not threaded, but a threaded holder screws on over them.

The hard part to come up with (or to build) is going to be that adaptor, that transitions from the 30mm to 40mm.

I don't want to sell mine because the filter / lens hood fit another old camera I've got.

A thought - using Photoshop instead of filters is pretty effective (and cost effective, esp. if you already have it bundled with some other computer s/w), and is something I'll often do. The gradient command can be used in place of a graduated nuetral density filter, works well with practice and then you don't have extra stuff to lug around on the camera.

Though the lens hood is probably the one really useful component of the bunch.

One more thing - on re-reading your post you're curious about the portrait lenses. I have one, but the lens element came loose. Worked well till then, very well. One goes on viewing lens and one on taking lens, and they're corrected for parallax. I *think* mine is a Spiratone, but I'd bet that since many companies made such items, and there were many Ciro-Flex TLRs made, probably several companies had close-up lenses.

Oh, the airplane pics - that wasn't me. There's a guy from back east who took those. I like them too. I've taken some car pics and such with mine, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI. And a panoramic with the Ciro-Flex, the lug on the side of the body is either at or close to the nodal point of the lens, and viewing the focus screen with the camera on its side works well.

Btw I already have seen the Henry Ford museum photos as well and they are marvelous.

I have a Ciroflex Model D with an Alphax shutter but I believe all Ciro-flex and Graflex 22 have the same taking lens diameter 31mm or 31.5mm. My main concern is to know which kodak series (V or VI) are the same as the Ciro's own filter set for the Ciro-flex. There is a Ciro-shade hood on Ebay with 36mm thread, it gives me a hint tht it will fit with the series V. Doug, you tell me the diameter of the retaining ring is 40mm. I am a little confused, is that same size the series V?

I would like to use kodak porta lenses with my Ciro-flex, I know I can use the VI filters with a 31.5mm to series VI. All this trouble is to use the original Ciro-Shade as well..

My series V Kodak lens shade measures 33mm over the threads, and screws right onto the series V slip ring. Problem is, no series V slip ring will fit over a 31.5mm diameter lens. Kodak literature gives largest series V slip ring as 1-3/16", and the smallest series VI slip ring as 1-1/4" (= 31.5mm as marked on the ring).

That means that the 36mm Ciro-Shade won't fit to the series V either, could it?

...and yes the mystery continues because we don't know the original Ciro's filter kit dimensions, the one we see in Bruce Downes book or the Ciro-flex Accessory booklet.

But I just found an auction with a series of adapters and one of the items is a Tiffen 31.5mm to Series V adapter ring and retainer, so it does exist but it don't solve the Ciro-Shade problem.
Greeting Henry,
Henri